By Rob Maaddi
HILADELPHIA – DK Metcalf got extra motivation he didn’t even need.
Metcalf caught 10 passes for 177 yards, Russell Wilson threw for 230 yards and a touchdown and the Seattle Seahawks beat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-17 on Monday night.
Before the game, Metcalf said Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who coached Calvin Johnson in Detroit, compared him to the former Lions star.
“I’m getting a little respect, but you know I still got work to do. One of the defensive coaches came up to me and it kind of made me mad that he was like, ‘You know, I was in Detroit with Megatron but you’re not there yet,'” Metcalf said. “In my mind, I’m not trying to be Megatron. I’m trying to be me. So I had a little chip on my shoulder the whole game.”
The Seahawks (8-3) moved one game ahead of the Rams in the NFC West. The Eagles (3-7-1) fell a half-game behind the Giants and Washington in the woeful NFC East.
Carson Wentz didn’t cede many snaps to backup Jalen Hurts but had another rough game. He was 25 of 45 for 215 yards, two TDs – one in garbage time – and one interception.
Seattle’s defense entered the game allowing the most yards in the NFL and most yards passing but held Philadelphia’s inept offense to 250 yards.
Metcalf was on the board when the Eagles took J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in the second round with the 57th pick in 2019. Arcega-Whiteside has 12 career catches and was a healthy inactive before landing on the COVID-19 list. Metcalf, who was the final pick of the second round, had the best game of his rookie year in Seattle’s playoff win at Philadelphia last season and again showed why he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Metcalf’s 52-yard catch on third-and-13 set up Wilson’s 1-yard TD pass to David Moore that gave the Seahawks a 7-0 lead.
“It’s kind of like coming home, a place that had a chance to draft me but they didn’t so I’ve got to make them pay,” Metcalf said.
Cornerback Darius Slay, who followed Metcalf in coverage, called it the worst game of his career.
“I lost every 50-50 ball. I let the team down. I gotta play better,” Slay said.
Chris Carson made it 14-0 when he bullied his way through Philadelphia’s defense on a 16-yard run.
“You know me, I saw that end zone so my game is physical so I wanted to get it in,” Carson said.
The Eagles didn’t get a first down until Wentz ran for 20 yards with under five minutes left in the first half. Wentz scrambled for 13 yards on third-and-5 to keep the drive going and tossed a 3-yard TD pass to Dallas Goedert to cut it to 14-6 at halftime. Jake Elliott missed the extra point wide left.
Elliott’s 42-yard field goal cut it to 14-9 in the third quarter. Jason Myers hit one from 44 yards to extend it to 17-9.
After a holding call on Cedric Ogbuehi negated a 17-yard TD run by Carlos Hyde, Myers connected from 33 yards. He hit another one from 39.
Richard Rodgers caught a tipped ball on a desperation heave by Wentz for a 33-yard TD in the final minute.
Trailing by 11, Eagles coach Doug Pederson passed up a field goal and went for it on fourth-and-4 from the Seahawks 15. Wentz’s pass went straight to Seattle’s Quandre Diggs as Goedert turned the other way on the route.
The Eagles got a huge stop on Seattle’s opening series. After a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties helped the Seahawks reach the 3, Derek Barnett stuffed Moore for a 5-yard loss on fourth down from the 2.
Barnett sacked Wilson on fourth-and-2 from Philadelphia’s 37 on Seattle’s second drive.
OWNING PHILLY
Wilson is 6-0 against the Eagles and the Seahawks have won seven in a row in the series.
NO QB ROTATION
Hurts took the snap on two plays. He completed a 6-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery on one and handed off on the other. Wentz was split wide on the running play and on the sideline for the pass.
GOING BACKWARD
The Eagles had minus-4 yards in the first quarter, matching their worst first quarter in the past 30 seasons (also minus-4 vs Minnesota on Oct. 7, 2018). The last team to have negative yards in the first quarter was Chicago with minus-1 against Philadelphia on Nov. 3, 2019.
The Eagles went three-and-out on their first five drives.
INJURY REPORT
Both teams were missing their starting right tackle.
Seattle’s Brandon Shell was inactive because of an ankle injury. Ogbuehi took his spot.
Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson is sidelined for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Matt Pryor started in his place.
UP NEXT
Seahawks: Host the New York Giants (4-7) on Sunday.
Eagles: Visit the Green Bay Packers (8-3) on Sunday.
*Associated Press
